Apparently the National Costume Competition of the Miss Universe Pageant is largely a crash course in cultural stereotypes. While some contestants donned more traditional clothing from their home countries, others created extravagant costumes roughly inspired by their heritage. And Miss USA showcased two of the most…
Child beauty pageants are fucked up enough without adding a weird racial dimension to them, but if you're going to be terrible, you might as well be all-the-way terrible, right? The Little Miss Hispanic Delaware pageant — which exists because apparently the world doesn't mess with little girls' brains enough as-is —…
The Miss World pageant, being held in Indonesia this year, is supposed to about smiling beauty queens. But thanks to the Islamic Defenders Front, things are getting ugly.
It’s possible you may have been going about your business entirely unaware that one of those rare calendar events is upon us. Much like the appearance of Halley’s comet or the upcoming convergence of Thanksgiving and Chanukah, Sunday night marks the second Miss America pageant of 2013.
There She Is, a new documentary short that follows two best friends competing in the 2011 American Beauties Plus Pageant, is an interesting glimpse into the world of pageants for large ladies. These women work on their evening wear looks, interview skills, and stage presence just like the Miss America crew, but you'll …
NSA spies are just like us: they like to judge pretty girls in tiaras.
When the Miss World pageant began in London in 1951, the winner — Sweden's Kiki Haakonson — was crowned in a two-piece swimsuit. But this year, the pageant is being held in Indonesia — world's most populous Islamic country — and bikinis will not be present.
A former Miss California USA contestant who was "discovered" by Erik DeSando, one of the pageant recruiters whose questionable practices we exposed in our recent Miss USA investigation
Ashleigh Blake never dreamed of becoming a beauty queen. The 21-year-old amateur model and part-time tutor fantasized about being a movie star or the next Glee triple threat, and posted her resume on the casting networking site GotCast in hopes that Hollywood might call. But when a recruitment associate for Miss…
If you haven't been paying attention, the newest Miss America of 2013, Mallory Hagan, lives in Brooklyn. But before you get to reeling from the notion that the epicenter of "all things ironic and progressive" could produce something so quaint, so old-fashioned, so retrograde, take comfort in knowing that she's actually…
Olivia Culpo has been crowned Miss Universe; it's the first time in 15 years that a Miss USA has taken home the tiara. Mascara! Everywhere!
Among the many important lessons Little Miss Sunshine taught us (Marcel Proust was gay! Family is important! The Air Force won't let you fly planes if you can't tell the difference between red and not-red, and your supercilious, suicidal uncle will tell you this in a condescending, oh-I'm-so…
Twenty-year-old Maria Susana Flores Gamez was found dead on Saturday night, with an assault rifle near her body. According to the AP:
In "Nothing Good Ever Came From or Happened At a Beauty Pageant with the Exception of Alana Thompson" news, a Brazilian beauty queen hopeful has allegedly confessed to plotting the murder of her perceived #1 competitor. It's like Drop Dead Gorgeous came to life but super sad because it's real (but also kind-of less sad…
The Miss America pageant used to be a great place to see incredibly conventionally attractive women answer questions about world peace and then march around in bathing suits. It's still a great place for that, but it's also a great place to get a peek into a sort of crystal ball of American politics, a showcase for…
When it was reported earlier in March that a transgender woman named Jenna Talackova would be a finalist in the Miss Universe Canada pageant, it seemed a fine, sunny day for the LGBT community, as Talackova's inclusion in the finals represented at least one step in the direction of wider social acceptance for…
Last night's Miss America pageant assembled some of the most esoterically talented women in the country on a single stage to dance ballet, sing opera, and try very hard not to blink under the blinding scrutiny of Kris Jenner. Though 52 of them have by this time today already sunk deep into the morass of ignominious…
When I told an acquaintance I was headed to Las Vegas this weekend for the Miss America pageant, she seemed momentarily confused. "Really?" she asked. "I didn't know they still…did that, to be honest." Oh, but they do.
Has your mom never experienced the joy of judging the women on Toddlers & Tiaras, Little Miss Perfect, and Dance Moms? Perhaps this Valentine's Day you should let her know just how "cuh-razy" other moms can be with a card that reads:
Jenelle Hutcherson, 26, and Mollie Thomas, 19, didn't win the Miss California USA competition this weekend, but they made history by being the first two openly gay contestants in the 60-year-old competition. Two years ago a certain Miss California caused a huge controversy when she advocated for "opposite marriage," and…
Domonique Ramirez, the Miss San Antonio winner
There she is, Misdemeanor America.
In the last three years, the number of women arrested in Mexico on drug trafficking-related charges has jumped 400%. At least six of them are beauty queens or models.
Last night 32-year-old Kitty Hiccups, also known as David Hyland, beat out seven other contestants to be named this year's Miss'd America. The drag-queen competition started in 1993 and takes place the day after the Miss America Pageant.
Miss New York Davina Reeves boarded Miss USA Rima Fakih's float while wearing her crown and sash and remained on board the vessel until handlers convinced her to disembark from the float. Drop Dead Gorgeous is real.
Alexandria Mills recently became the first American crowned Miss World, and in keeping with our national tradition, she's now involved in a nude photo scandal. A picture the 18-year-old sent to her boyfriend is reportedly being shopped to media outlets.
American Alexandria Mills' Miss World win
American Alexandria Mills has been named Miss World 2010 at the competition in Beijing; critics speculate the recent high-school graduate doesn't possess the comically large crown wearing experience necessary for the post.
